OBJECTIVES: Pancreatic pseudocysts (PPC) are fluid collections with a well-defined wall that persist for more than 4 weeks inside or around the pancreas as a result of pancreatic inflammation and/or a ductal lesion. PPC have been successfully treated with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage using different stents. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EUS-guided drainage of PPC using double-pigtail plastic stents in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: Patients with PPC referred for EUS-guided drainage between May 2015 and December 2019 were included in this case series. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the efficacy (clinical success) and safety (adverse events and mortality) of EUS-guided drainage of PPC. Secondary endpoints included technical success and pseudocyst recurrence. RESULTS: Eleven patients (mean age, 44.5±18.98 years) were included in this study. The etiologies for PPC were acute biliary pancreatitis, chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, and blunt abdominal trauma. The mean pseudocyst size was 9.4±2.69 cm. The clinical success rate was 91% (10/11). Adverse events occurred in three of 11 patients (27%). There were no cases of mortality. The technical success rate was 100%. Pseudocyst recurrence was identified in one of 11 patients (9%) at 12 weeks after successful clinical drainage and complete pseudocyst resolution. CONCLUSION: EUS-guided transmural drainage of PPC using double-pigtail plastic stents is safe and effective with high technical and clinical success rates.

Contexto - A hemorragia digestiva alta implica em significativas repercussões clínicas e econômicas. O estabelecimento correto das mais recentes terapêuticas para a hemorragia digestiva alta está associado à redução na mortalidade intra-hospitalar. O uso de algoritmos para atendimento da hemorragia digestiva alta está associado com menor tempo de internação e menores custos hospitalares. Objetivos - O objetivo primário é a criação de um protocolo de atendimento da hemorragia digestiva alta, para ser utilizado em hospital terciário. Métodos - Realizada extensa revisão da literatura sobre as condutas na hemorragia digestiva alta, contidas nas bases de dados primária e secundária. Resultados - O resultado é um modelo de atendimento para os pacientes com hemorragia digestiva alta e com evidência de sangramento recente, dado por melena ou hematêmese nas ultimas 24h, que são atendidos nas salas de emergência e unidades de terapia intensiva de hospitais terciários. Neste protocolo de atendimento, desenhado de forma compacta e compreensível, fica bem evidenciado o manejo dos pacientes desde a admissão, com definição dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, passando considerações acerca do atendimento clínico inicial, posterior direcionamento para a terapêutica endoscópica, e encaminhamento às terapias de resgate em casos de sangramento persistente ou recorrente. Destacam-se também os cuidados que devem ser tomados antes da alta hospitalar para todos os pacientes que se recuperam de um episódio de sangramento. Conclusão - A introdução de um protocolo para atendimento e tratamento de pacientes com hemorragia digestiva alta pode contribuir para uniformização de condutas médicas, diminuição no tempo de espera por medicações e serviços, no tempo de internação e nos custos hospitalares.

Background - Upper gastrointestinal bleeding implies significant clinical and economic repercussions. The correct establishment of the latest therapies for the upper gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with reduced in-hospital mortality. The use of clinical pathways for the upper gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with shorter hospital stay and lower hospital costs. Objective - The primary objective is the development of a clinical care pathway for the management of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, to be used in tertiary hospital. Methods - It was conducted an extensive literature review on the management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, contained in the primary and secondary information sources. Results - The result is a clinical care pathway for the upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with evidence of recent bleeding, diagnosed by melena or hematemesis in the last 12 hours, who are admitted in the emergency rooms and intensive care units of tertiary hospitals. In this compact and understandable pathway, it is well demonstrated the management since the admission, with definition of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, passing through the initial clinical treatment, posterior guidance for endoscopic therapy, and referral to rescue therapies in cases of persistent or rebleeding. It was also included the care that must be taken before hospital discharge for all patients who recover from an episode of bleeding. Conclusion - The introduction of a clinical care pathway for patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding may contribute to standardization of medical practices, decrease in waiting time for medications and services, length of hospital stay and costs.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of transgastric peritoneal access on plasma biomarkers of acute inflammatory response in comparison to laparoscopy. METHODS: This was a prospective and comparative study in a porcine model. Transgastric peritoneal access performed by natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery was compared with laparoscopy. Laparotomy and sham groups were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Thirty-four pigs were assigned to receive transgastric natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (n = 12), laparoscopy (n = 8), laparotomy (n = 8) or a sham procedure involving only anesthesia (n = 6). In the natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery group, peritoneoscopy was performed with a gastroscope via transgastric access. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 24 h after the surgical procedure for measurement of interleukins 1β, 6 and 10 and tumor necrosis factor-α. A complete blood count was performed, and C-reactive protein levels were measured at baseline and at 24 h. RESULTS: All surgical and endoscopic procedures were performed without major complications. Peritoneal cavity inventory showed no signs of peritonitis in any animal. Interleukin 1β, interleukin 10 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were below the threshold of detection. The mean level of interleukin 6 was statistically significantly higher in the laparotomy group than in the other groups (p<0.05), with no significant differences among the sham, laparoscopy and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery groups (p>0.05). C-reactive protein analysis indicated significant increases in all groups, with no differences among the groups. Complete blood count analysis showed no differences among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the observed interleukin 6 patterns, the systemic inflammatory response resulting from transgastric peritoneal access by natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery is similar in intensity to the response that occurs after laparoscopy.

CONTEXTO: A ligadura elástica é considerada o melhor tratamento endoscópico para o sangramento agudo por varizes esofágicas ou para profilaxia do sangramento varicoso, sendo a escleroterapia com N-2-butil-cianoacrilato uma alternativa para os pacientes com doença hepática avançada e distúrbio de coagulação. Bacteriemia é uma complicação rara associada à ligadura elástica, por outro lado, a incidência de bacteriemia relacionada com o uso de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato permanece desconhecida. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar e comparar a incidência de bacteriemia transitória entre os pacientes cirróticos submetidos a endoscopia digestiva alta diagnóstica, escleroterapia com N-2-butil-cianoacrilato ou ligadura elástica para tratamento das varizes esofágicas. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo realizado entre 2004 e 2007 foi conduzido no Hospital da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Brasil. Cirróticos com doença hepática avançada (Child B ou C) foram incluídos. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com o tratamento: grupo ligadura elástica (pacientes submetidos a ligadura elástica, n = 20) e grupo N-2-butil-cianoacrilato (pacientes submetidos a injeção de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato, n = 18). Cirróticos sem varizes esofágicas ou com varizes esofágicas sem indicação de tratamento endoscópico foram recrutados como controles (grupo endoscopia diagnóstica, n = 20). Bacteriemia foi avaliada por hemocultura basal e 30 minutos após o procedimento. RESULTADOS: Dos 137 procedimentos endoscópicos realizados, nenhum dos 58 pacientes apresentou febre ou qualquer sinal sugestivo de infecção. Todas as hemoculturas de base foram negativas. Nenhuma cultura positiva foi observada após o uso de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato ou no grupo controle. Três (4,6%) culturas positivas foram encontradas após as 65 sessões de ligadura elástica (P = 0,187). Duas dessas foram positivas para Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo, provavelmente relacionadas à contaminação. O microorganismo isolado no terceiro caso foi Klebsiella oxytoca. Nesse caso, o paciente apresentava a própria doença hepática como única situação relacionada à imunodeficiência. CONCLUSÕES: Não houve diferença significante na incidência de bacteriemia entre os três grupos de pacientes. Ligadura elástica ou injeção de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato para profilaxia do sangramento varicoso podem ser considerados procedimentos de baixo risco quanto ao surgimento de bacteriemia, mesmo em pacientes com doença hepática avançada.

CONTEXT: Band ligation (BL) is the most appropriate endoscopic treatment for acute bleeding or prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding. Sclerotherapy with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (CY) can be an alternative for patients with advanced liver disease. Bacteremia is an infrequent complication after BL while the bacteremia rate following treatment with CY for esophageal varices remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the incidence of transient bacteremia between cirrhotic patients submitted to diagnostic endoscopy, CY and BL for treatment of esophageal varices. METHODS: A prospective study comprising the period from 2004 to 2007 was conducted at Hospital of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, SP, Brazil. Cirrhotic patients with advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh B or C) were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according treatment: BL Group (patients undergoing band ligation, n = 20) and CY Group (patients receiving cyanoacrylate injection for esophageal variceal, n = 18). Cirrhotic patients with no esophageal varices or without indication for endoscopic treatment were recruited as control (diagnostic group n = 20). Bacteremia was evaluated by blood culture at baseline and 30 minutes after the procedure. RESULTS: After 137 scheduled endoscopic procedures, none of the 58 patients had fever or any sign suggestive of infection. All baseline cultures were negative. No positive cultures were observed after CY or in the control group - diagnostic endoscopy. Three (4.6 %) positive cultures were found out of the 65 sessions of band ligation (P = 0.187). Two of these samples were positive for coagulase-negative staphylococcus, which could be regarded as a contaminant. The isolated microorganism in the other case was Klebsiella oxytoca. The patient in this case presented no evidence of immunodeficiency except liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in bacteremia rate between these three groups. BL or CY injection for non-bleeding esophageal varices may be considered as low-risk procedures regarding bacteremia even when performed on patients with advanced liver disease.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o desempenho diagnóstico da citologia obtida pela CPER, aquele obtido pela EE-PAAF e a concordância entre patologistas gerais (PG) e especialistas (PE) em pacientes com estenose biliar. MÉTODOS: Incluímos pacientes com estenose biliar identificados pela CPER. A EE-PAAF foi realizada apenas em áreas com efeito de massa ou da parede espessada do ducto biliar. O padrão-ouro foi a cirurgia, histologia e/ou o seguimento. As amostras teciduais foram consideradas: malignas, suspeitas, atípicas, insuficientes ou benignas. Os espécimes obtidos por cada método foi interpretado (cego) por um PG e outro PE. RESULTADO: 46 pacientes foram incluídos (37 malignos e 9 benignos). O diagnóstico final foi de tumor pancreático (26), biliar (11), pancreatite crônica (8) e estenose inflamatória do ducto biliar (1). Sensibilidade e acurácia da CPER foram 43,2% e 52,2% para o PG e 51,4% e 58,7% para o PE. Sensibilidade e acurácia da EE-PAAF foi 52,8% e 58,5% para o PG e 69,4% e 73,2% para o PE. A combinação entre a CPER e EE-PAAF demonstrou maior sensibilidade e acurácia para ambos PG (64,9% e 69,6%) e PE (83,8% e 84,8%), respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: A citologia obtida pelo escovado da via biliar durante a CPER e as amostras teciduais colhidas pela EE-PAAF tem rendimento semelhante para o diagnóstico das estenoses biliares. No entanto, a combinação dos métodos resulta em uma maior acurácia. Além disso, espera-se que a interpretação das amostras ocorra com maior precisão pelo PE se comparado ao PG.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and to compare the diagnostic yield of ERCP brush cytology (ERCP) and EUS-FNA in patients with biliary strictures and evaluates the agreement between general pathologists (GP) and expert GI pathologists (GIP) in the final diagnosis of biliary strictures. METHODS: Patients with biliary strictures documented by ERCP were included. Brush cytology was performed and during EUS, only visible mass lesions or localized bile duct wall thickening were aspirated. The gold standard method for diagnosis was surgical histology and/or follow-up. Tissue sampling results were: malignant, suspicious, atypical, insufficiently or benign. Specimens were interpreted by GP and GIP, blinded for prior tests results. RESULTS: 46 patients were included. Final diagnosis was malignancy in 37 (26 pancreatic - 11 biliary) and benign in 9 (8 chronic pancreatitis - 1 common bile duct inflammatory stricture). Sensitivity and accuracy for ERCP brush cytology were 43.2% and 52.2% for GP and 51.4% and 58.7% for GIP. Sensitivity and accuracy for EUS-FNA were 52.8% and 58.5%, respectively for GP and 69.4% e 73.2% for GIP. In comparison, the combination of brush cytology and EUS-FNA demonstrated higher sensitivity and accuracy for both GP (64.9% and 69.6%, respectively) and GIP (83.8% and 84.8%, respectively) and improved agreement with final diagnosis for both (mostly for GIP). CONCLUSION: Both, ERCP brush cytology and EUS-FNA has a similar yield for the diagnosis of biliary strictures. However, the combination of these methods results in an improved diagnostic accuracy. In addition, GIP might be expected to interpret specimens with greater accuracy than GP.